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Justin Fields could quickly be top QB in NFC North if Aaron Rodgers leaves Packers, Mel Kiper Jr. says

Dustin Schutte

By Dustin Schutte

Published:

Justin Fields hasn’t taken a single snap in the NFL and just joined the Chicago Bears two days ago, but ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. already thinks the sky is the limit for the former Buckeye.

Speaking on ESPN’s NFL Live this week, Kiper said the Bears may have made the move of the draft so far by trading up to select the former Ohio State quarterback. Why? Because if Aaron Rodgers truly wants out of Green Bay, as Adam Schefter reported on Thursday, Fields could be the best QB in the division.

“I can’t believe he slid as far as he did. I’m going to use the word slide because I thought he should go in the Top 3 or 4 overall,” Kiper said. “But I think you look at Justin Fields in Chicago, will he be the guy right away? Will Andy Dalton be the guy for a few games? It’s interesting to see how Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace handle this situation but they’re in a division where, if they handle Justin Fields properly, with Aaron Rodgers’ Green Bay Packer days very limited, you could have the best quarterback in this division in the not-too-distant future.”

Fields was one of the interesting candidates in this year’s NFL Draft because of the varying evaluations. Some believed he was a top talent, perhaps the second-best quarterback in the draft. Others thought he was the fifth-best prospect at the position.

Regardless, the Bears like what they saw from Fields throughout his two seasons at Ohio State. Now, he’ll get the opportunity to lead the franchise early in his career.

Dustin Schutte

Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB